Mainline steam - When to Whistle and When Not To!!

You're living dangerously..........

 

Where there's a crowd, there's usually a whistle though stations are your best bet. DBS always put on a show and cannot be faulted. While West Coast can be hit or miss, though the Tyseley crew can make good use of there whistles. Iv'e discussed this with a few linesiders and some have said that to much whistle blasting ruins the beat of the engine, whatever loco that may be, Unless the driver cuts off, then a whistle is needed to enhance your clip. Iv'e moaned in the past about lack of whistles but as said earlier in the thread it's drivers prerogative.

 

Rules on whistling/use of horn have changed significantly since the days of the 1950 rulebook. Even the use of the two tone horn is now generally not required and in most cases it is the low tone only. Use of the horn between 23.00 & 07.00 is generally only allowed if there are people on the line. Things like whistling when passing a signal at danger and starting trains are things of the past.

I find it wryly amusing that, over forty years since the whistle became obsolete on the big railway, the term 'whistle board' still exists in the rules and 'W' boards are still used as standard!

 

There is no differentiation between types of traction unit. The requirements as shown. Changes have been made recently. (When passing a standing train, entering and leaving tunnels etc) In order to try and placate the noise police. Note that it says 'on the line you are travelling. If you are on the Down fast, and somebody is on the Up Slow, they are not on 'your line'. On the footplate, I can assure you, overuse of the whistle gives your ears some stick.
45.3

Sounding the horn as a warning


a) Anyone on or near the line
You must sound the horn to warn anyone who is on or near the
line on which you are travelling.
Give a series of short, urgent danger warnings to anyone who is
on or dangerously near the line who does not:
•


acknowledge your warning by raising one arm above the head,
or
•


appear to move clear out of the way of the train.
b) Whistle boards
You must sound the horn when passing a whistle board only
between 0700 and 2300, except in an emergency or when anyone
is on or near the line.
c) Within a possession
You must sound the horn on starting your train when making a
movement within a possession.
d) Wrong-direction movements
When making a wrong-direction movement on a running line for
which there is no signal provided, you must sound a series of
short blasts at frequent intervals.
e) Train movements
You must sound the horn at any other time you consider
necessary.

 

Thank goodness we do still have 'W' boards. Now you've drawn it to their attention the EU will probably dictate that they all have to be changed to 'S' boards.

 

Whistles are not completely absent from the big railway. Transport for London still use whistles on Underground and Tube Stock.

 

One of our old Drivers used to say' " Stop blowing that Bloody whistle, just tap the windscreen'.
A

 

Whistles are still used on the big railway, that is if you count Island line! I can hear them early morning, I use the one that goes past at 07.20 as my call to get out of bed ;-)

 

I have found the way to get a guaranteed blast on the whistle especially a non stop tour through Woking if Dave Salmon ( ex - Guildford shed )
is there with his camera you get plenty of whistles and a mixture of hand signals from the crew.
The recent 2 black 5s to Winchester was a great example.

Mike M. ( 70c)

 

I think this man could help main line steam a lot. On selected trips he could stand behind the driver and do his stuff whenever asked.

 

My kids often get some good two-tones treatment from PDSR drivers as they pass our garden!

As for the mainline, I think this was the most fitting and respectful use of a whistle I have seen in a while. Ian Riley gave this crow as a tribute to the now departed Engineman Paul Kane:

 

Have you considered expanding the question from the main line to include preserved railways?

Now that would be an interesting discussion!

 

You might get 100 different answers. From my end of the train at SVR we appear to be upholding tradition with plenty of whistles, especially at crossings and we do whistle when passing signals at danger.

 

This was very moving and brought a tear (or two) to my eyes. Reminded of the Standard 5 at Upper Scudamore when the ashes of Bryan Dudley-Ward were place in the firebox by his widow and the haunting sound of the "crow" whistle was something that will live with me forever and to witness a train of people, some in tears, but in absolute silence, was a massive tribute to a very fine and loved engineman, just as Paul Kane was.

Nick

 

Play to the crowd I say,

"TORNADO" and "BITTERN"

 

Absolutely. A couple of my clips from this year:

 

Play to the crowd? In this case it was having friends of the crew on the platform. This woke a few sleeping children up late at night.....

 

2:57 =D